Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Post EU Energy Council update

Kwasi  Kwarteng: The UK did not attend the EU Energy Council in Brussels on 4 December 2019.The UK Government has decided that from 1 September until exit day, UK Ministers and officials will only attend EU meetings where the UK has a significant national interest in the outcome of the discussions.

Department for Education

Kensington & Chelsea College

Gavin Williamson: It is the normal practice when a government department proposed to make a gift of a value exceeding £300,000, for the department concerned to present to the House of Commons a minute giving particulars of the gift and explaining the circumstances; and to refrain from making the gift until fourteen parliamentary sitting days after the issue of the minute, except in cases of special urgency.Given wider exceptional circumstances, the Department for Education intends to purchase the Kensington Centre (Wornington Road, London) and provide a 125-year lease to a Further Education institute formed by merger between Kensington and Chelsea College (KCC) and Morley College (but with the Secretary of State for Housing Communities, and Local Government to be the named freeholder/lessor in each instance). The purchase price of £10,000,000 is below market value and KCC will additionally contribute £6,000,000 towards the cost of the acquisition of the site.The lease of the site is valued at £1,100,000 per annum and will be subject to a peppercorn lease of only £1 per year. The peppercorn lease will contain a break clause after 25 years. The lease therefore represents a gift to the merged college worth £18,764,000 which is discounted at a rate of 3.5%. The Treasury has approved the proposal in principle.This investment represents a unique and pivotal opportunity to rebuild trust and contribute towards the education and skills components of the Grenfell Recovery Strategy. KCC’s only campus in North Kensington is on Wornington Road, close to Grenfell Tower. The college has an important role in providing Londoners, and in particular the North Kensington Community, with the skills for the future.Within this unique context, through strong partnership working, Government, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and KCC, will achieve good value for money in securing and refurbishing the Wornington Road site. This will help create a sustainable college to maintain and grow a wide-ranging further education offer, benefiting the local community and honouring the Government’s commitment to the Grenfell community.


This statement has also been made in the House of Lords: 
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Dedicated Schools Grant for 2020-21

Nick Gibb: Today I am confirming school and early years revenue funding allocations for 2020-21 through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), published yesterday. This follows a statement by the Secretary of State for Education on 3 September, which confirmed to Parliament that the funding for schools and high needs will, compared to 2019-20, rise by £2.6 billion for 2020-21, £4.8 billion for 2021-22, and £7.1 billion for 2022-23. That is on top of £1.5 billion we are providing each year to fund additional pensions costs for teachers, bringing the total schools budget to £52.2 billion in 2022-23.The distribution of the DSG is set out in four blocks for each local authority: a schools block, a high needs block, an early years block, and a central school services block. In October 2019, I informed Parliament of the publication of primary and secondary units of funding for the schools block, and provisional allocations for the high needs block and central school services block. In the DSG, these have now been updated with the latest pupil numbers to show how much each local authority will receive in 2020-21. Today’s publication also provides initial 2020-21 allocations for the early years block, following the early years national funding formula rates for 3- and 4-year-olds I confirmed in October.Finally, I am confirming the government’s commitment to level up school funding by ensuring that every secondary school receives at least £5,000 per pupil, and every primary school at least £3,750 per pupil in 2020-21. The DSG allocations provide for this additional funding, and today the government has published its response to a consultation which finalises the arrangements local authorities must follow in delivering mandatory minimum per pupil levels to the relevant schools in their local area, thus delivering one of the key pledges given by the Prime Minister during the General Election.As well as supporting the lowest funded schools, this change marks an important first step in our plans to implement a ‘hard’ National Funding Formula, whereby schools receive what they attract through the national formula, rather than through different local authority funding formulae. We will consult on the further steps needed to deliver those plans in due course, and will work closely with local authorities and other stakeholders in making the transition carefully and smoothly.


This statement has also been made in the House of Lords: 
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Leader of the House

The Government’s Legislative Programme 2019

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: Following Thursday’s State Opening of Parliament, and for the convenience of the House, I am listing the bills which were announced:Agriculture BillAir Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft BillArmed Forces (Legal Protections) BillBirmingham Commonwealth Games BillBuilding Safety BillCounter Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) BillDivorce, Dissolution and Separation BillDomestic Abuse BillEmployment BillEnvironment BillEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillExtradition (Provisional Arrest) BillFire Safety BillFisheries BillFinancial Services BillHealth Service Safety Investigations BillHigh Speed Rail 2 (West Midlands - Crewe) BillImmigration and Social Security Co-ordination (European Union Withdrawal) BillMedicines and Medical Devices BillNational Security and Investment BillNHS Funding BillNHS Long Term Plan BillOnline Harms BillPension Schemes BillPolice Powers and Protections BillPrisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) BillPrivate International Law (Implementation of Agreements) BillRenters’ Reform BillSentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) BillSentencing BillSerious Violence BillTelecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) BillTelecommunications (Connectivity) BillThomas Cook Compensation BillTrade BillWindrush (Compensation Scheme) Bill The programme will also include Finance Bills to implement budget policy decisions.Detailed information about each of these bills can be accessed from the Gov.uk website at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/853886/Queen_s_Speech_December_2019_-_background_briefing_notes.pdf.

Wales Office

Government's Legislative Programme (Wales)

Simon Hart: The legislative programme for the First Session was outlined by Her Majesty on Thursday 19 December. This statement provides a summary of the programme and its application to Wales. It does not include draft bills, Law Commission bills or Finance Bills. This Government will get Brexit done. We have introduced the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill to implement the deal agreed by the Prime Minister, which will ensure our exit from the EU on 31 January. We will end the uncertainty and leave as one United Kingdom, allowing us to move on and unleash the potential of all four nations. Together, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are safer, stronger and more prosperous, and as such the Government remains committed to strengthening the Union. The legislative programme for this session will deliver on the opportunities Brexit brings for the whole of the United Kingdom. The Government expects that the return of powers from the EU will lead to a significant increase in the decision-making powers of the Devolved Administrations. It will mean that decisions and powers sit in the right place and closer to people than ever before. Getting Brexit done will allow us to focus on delivering important domestic reform delivering benefits in Wales and across the United Kingdom. The programme includes an ambitious set of measures to support citizens across all nations of the UK. The following bills would apply to Wales (either in full or in part). Agriculture BillAir Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft BillArmed Forces (Legal Protections) BillBirmingham Commonwealth Games BillBuilding Safety BillCounter Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) BillDivorce, Dissolution and Separation BillDomestic Abuse BillEmployment BillEnvironment BillEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillExtradition (Provisional Arrest) BillFisheries BillFinancial Services BillHealth Service Safety Investigations BillHigh Speed Rail 2 (West Midlands - Crewe) BillImmigration and Social Security Co-ordination (European Union Withdrawal) BillOnline Harms BillMedicines and Medical Devices BillNational Security and Investment BillPension Schemes BillPolice Powers and Protections BillPrisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) BillPrivate International Law (Implementation of Agreements) BillSentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) BillSentencing BillSerious Violence BillTelecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) BillTelecommunications (Connectivity) BillThomas Cook Compensation BillTrade BillWindrush (Compensation Scheme) Bill The Government will continue to work constructively with the Welsh Government to secure the legislative consent of the National Assembly for Wales where appropriate.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2019

Mr Ben Wallace: Today, I am laying before Parliament the Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2019. Our Armed Forces protect our nation with unwavering honour, courage and commitment. We owe them a vast debt of gratitude and have a duty to ensure that those who serve, or who have served in our Armed Forces, and their families, suffer no disadvantage in comparison to other citizens as a result of their service to our country. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most such as the injured or the bereaved. This is what the Covenant sets out to do. It is my honour to present this report to Parliament, describing what the Government together with its delivery partners have done to uphold the principles of the Covenant. The report provides progress on the delivery by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and what has been achieved on healthcare, education, accommodation, inquest and judicial engagement, family life, transition and through life support, and business in the community from October 2018 to September 2019. Highlights of this year’s report include: the creation of the first Office for Veterans’ Affairs to pull together all functions of Government in order to ensure this nation’s life-long duty to those who have served, building on the Strategy for our Veterans; putting Flexible Service into law, allowing Regular Service personnel to ask to temporarily work part-time and/or restrict their separation from their home base; the launch of the Future Accommodation Model pilot in September for approximately three years; the extension of the Forces Help to Buy scheme until December 2022; reaching over 4,000 signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, with over 1,000 new signings this year; the inclusion of the ‘Service Child’ ‘Flag Indicator’ on school censuses in England, Wales and Scotland for the first time; £23.1 million of Service Pupil Premium funding is being distributed to over 10,000 schools across England in 2019-20; the Department for Work and Pensions secured funding to bolster the role of its Armed Forces Champions across the country; the NHS, together with the MOD, launched the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans Framework for Armed Forces personnel in transition; and the Northern Ireland Legacy Inquest team was set up to deal with the extensive Northern Ireland Legacy Inquest programme. But while progress has clearly been made, both this year and in the eight years since the Covenant came into being, more still needs to be done. The Government, working closely with its delivery partners across all levels of Government in the UK, Service charities and the private sector, will continue to mitigate disadvantage wherever it is found within the Armed Forces community, and will be bold in seeking special considerations where appropriate. As outlined in the Conservative Party manifesto and Queens Speech we will seek to further incorporate the Armed Forces Covenant into law and over the course of this Parliament will continue to remove disadvantage faced by our Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans. This report is a collaborative effort with input from service providers and professionals from a diverse array of backgrounds. I would like to thank colleagues across central Government, the Devolved Administrations, stakeholders in Northern Ireland and Local Authorities, and those at every level and from every sector who are continuing to drive forward the work of the Covenant in support of our Armed Forces community. I am also grateful to the external members of the Covenant Reference Group who were consulted throughout the process and provided their independent observations.

Future Nuclear Deterrent  Annual Update 2019

Mr Ben Wallace: On 18 May 2011, the then Secretary of State for Defence, the Right Hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Liam Fox) made an oral statement to the House (Official Report column 351) announcing the approval of the Initial Gate investment stage for the procurement of the successor to the VANGUARD Class ballistic missile submarines. He also placed in the Library of the House a report "The United Kingdom’s Future Nuclear Deterrent: The Submarine Initial Gate Parliamentary Report". As confirmed in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, this Government has committed to publishing an annual report on the programme. I am today publishing the eighth report, “The United Kingdom’s Future Nuclear Deterrent: 2019 Update to Parliament”. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Cabinet Office

Government Transparency and Accountability

Chloe Smith: The Government is today publishing a number of documents as part of its ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability: The List of Ministers’ Interests, reflecting the Government as it stood on 5 November 2019, immediately before the dissolution of Parliament. Under the terms of the Ministerial Code, Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their Ministerial position and their private interests, financial or otherwise. The List captures those interests relevant to Ministers’ Ministerial responsibilities, and should be read alongside the two Parliamentary Registers. In line with the commitment in the Ministerial Code, a further list reflecting ministerial appointments made since the General Election will be published next year.The Annual Report of the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Interests, Sir Alex Allan, which accompanies the List of Ministers’ Interests.The Annual Report on Special Advisers 2019, in conformance with Section 16(1) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Copies of the List of Ministerial Interests, the Annual Report of the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Interests and the Annual Report on Special Advisers will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and will be published on GOV.UK. Further transparency publications will be published in the New Year, in the usual way.

Advance from the Contingencies Fund

Oliver Dowden: The Cabinet Office has sought a repayable cash advance from the Contingencies Fund of £107,134,000.The requirement has arisen because the Cabinet Office receives a relatively high proportion of its voted funding at Supplementary Estimate, and as a consequence may only draw the related cash from the Consolidated Fund after the Supply and Appropriation Act has received Royal Assent in March 2020.The cash advance will pay for programmes which will generate Government-wide benefits or savings and are urgent in the public interest, including advancing EU Exit objectives, public inquiries, security and the efficient management of Government property.Parliamentary approval for additional resources of £70,046,000 and capital of £2,088,000 and cash of £35,000,000 will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the Cabinet Office. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £107,134,000 will be met by repayable cash advances from the Contingencies Fund.

Scotland Office

Government's Legislative Programme (Scotland)

Mr Alister Jack: The legislative programme for the First Session was outlined by Her Majesty on Thursday 19 December. This statement provides a summary of the programme and its application to Scotland. It does not include draft bills, Law Commission bills or Finance Bills. This Government will finally get Brexit done. We have introduced the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill to implement the fantastic deal agreed by the Prime Minister and ensure our exit from the EU on 31 January. We will end the uncertainty and leave as one United Kingdom, allowing us to move on and unleash the potential of all four nations. Together, Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are safer, stronger and more prosperous, and as such the Government remains committed to strengthening the Union. The legislative programme for this session will deliver on the opportunities Brexit brings for the whole of the United Kingdom. For example, the Fisheries Bill will create powers to build a sustainable, profitable UK fishing industry as we leave the Common Fisheries Policy and become an independent coastal state. The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill will provide the legal framework for our future immigration system, so that we can decide who comes to this country on the basis of skills they have and the contribution they can make – not where they come from. Getting Brexit done will allow us to focus on delivering important reforms to domestic issues through our legislative programme. The Government is at the forefront of tackling climate change, as the first major economy to legislate to end our contribution to global warming by setting a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Next year we will introduce the Environment Bill to guarantee the protection and restoration of our natural environment, putting these issues at the centre of policy making. On top of this, we are bringing world leaders to Glasgow for the United Nations 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) climate conference next year. The following bills would apply to Scotland (either in full or in part). Agriculture BillAir Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft BillArmed Forces (Legal Protections) BillBirmingham Commonwealth Games BillBuilding Safety BillCounter Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) BillDomestic Abuse BillEmployment BillEnvironment BillEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillExtradition (Provisional Arrest) BillFisheries BillFinancial Services BillHealth Service Safety Investigations BillHigh Speed Rail 2 (West Midlands - Crewe) BillImmigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) BillOnline Harms BillMedicines and Medical Devices BillNational Security and Investment BillPension Schemes BillPolice Powers and Protections BillPrivate International Law (Implementation of Agreements) BillSentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) BillTelecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) BillTelecommunications (Connectivity) BillThomas Cook Compensation BillTrade BillWindrush (Compensation Scheme) Bill In line with the Sewel Convention and associated practices, the Government will continue to work constructively with the Scottish Government to secure the legislative consent of the Scottish Parliament where appropriate.

Treasury

Treasury Update

Jesse Norman: In September 2019, the Government commissioned Sir Amyas Morse to lead the Independent Loan Charge Review. The Loan Charge is designed to tackle disguised remuneration avoidance schemes where a person’s income is paid as a loan which is not repaid. The Government is today publishing the Review and the Government’s own response to the Review. The review, Government response and accompanying documents may be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disguised-remuneration-independent-loan-charge-review The Government is grateful to Sir Amyas and his team for all their work on the Review.The Government welcomes Sir Amyas’ recognition that disguised remuneration schemes are a form of tax avoidance. Sir Amyas sets out the action that the Government took to try to tackle disguised remuneration and concludes that the Government was right to take action to ensure the tax was collected.However, the Government recognises the concerns raised in the Review about the impact of some aspects of the Loan Charge. To address these concerns, it is accepting all but one of the recommendations made in the Review.Loan Charge design changesThe Government is today announcing the following design changes to the Loan Charge:the Loan Charge will be limited to loans taken out on or after 9 December 2010 - the date on which targeted anti avoidance legislation was announced which put the tax position of disguised remuneration avoidance schemes beyond doubt, according to Sir Amyas;loans taken out between 9 December 2010 and 5 April 2016 (inclusive) will remain within the scope of the Loan Charge unless the user of the scheme can prove they disclosed details of their scheme use as specified by the Review on their tax return, and HMRC failed to take action to protect their position, for example, by opening an enquiry;taxpayers affected by the Loan Charge will be allowed to report their Loan Charge balance across three tax years, rather than one tax year. The changes above will be legislated for in the forthcoming Finance Bill and will be made effective from today using the HMRC Commissioners’ powers of collection and management. For taxpayers who have already settled their disguised remuneration liabilities since the Loan Charge was announced in March 2016, new legislation will enable HMRC to repay tax paid for years that would be no longer subject to the Loan Charge because the year was unprotected (for example, HMRC had not opened an enquiry or issued an assessment). The Government will announce further details of this legislation in due course. The Government will also review future policy on interest rates within the tax system and will report the results to Parliament by 31 July 2020.While loans made before 9 December 2010 are removed from the scope of the charge, the underlying tax liability for loans made prior to this date remains. HMRC will pursue those liabilities through open enquiries and assessments, and where necessary through litigation. HMRC will publish updated settlement terms for individuals in this position in due course. The Government will also invest in a new HMRC team to carry out this activity and to ensure that people who entered into disguised remuneration avoidance schemes before 9 December 2010 still pay the tax due and make their contribution to funding public services. The Government will announce further details at Budget.Loans taken out after 5 April 2016 and outstanding as of 5 April 2019 also remain within the scope of the Loan Charge. Loans taken out after 5 April 2019 are taxable when they are received under legislation introduced in Finance Act 2011.Additional flexibility for taxpayers affected by the Loan ChargeThe Loan Charge remains in force and any relevant outstanding loan balance should be included in the Self-Assessment tax return for 2018/19. However, the Government recognises that taxpayers will need sufficient time to understand their position in light of the changes above. HMRC have published guidance today on the action which affected taxpayers can take and the flexibility they now have in relation to the 31 January 2020 Self-Assessment deadline.Taxpayers who have not settled their disguised remuneration tax affairs by 31 January 2020 are required to submit a Self-Assessment return for the 2018-19 tax year. They can do this by the 31 January statutory 2020 filing date, giving their best estimate of their outstanding loan balance, or they can defer sending their return until 30 September 2020. In these circumstances HMRC will waive any penalties for late filing or late payment, and not charge any penalties for inaccurate returns (if the inaccuracy relates to the Loan Charge), as long as the taxpayer has submitted their return, or amends it with accurate figures by 30 September 2020.For taxpayers within the scope of the loan charge, no interest will be charged on amounts falling due at 31 January 2020 as long as the tax is paid, or an arrangement made with HMRC to do so, by 30 September 2020. Paying the Loan ChargeThe tax system already has safeguards in place designed to ensure that taxpayers who are not able to pay tax when it falls due are not required to take on unmanageable payment terms These safeguards include Time to Pay arrangements which ensure that the taxpayer only pays what they can, when they can. HMRC have also announced previously that no taxpayer will be forced to sell their main home to fund a disguised remuneration or Loan Charge tax bill, and HMRC already signpost specialist debt advisers and charities for those taxpayers struggling with debt.In addition to these existing arrangements, the Government and HMRC are today announcing that:the Government will fund an external body to provide independent advice on Time to Pay arrangements, including on the suitability of individual voluntary arrangements for taxpayers;in line with current practice, Time to Pay arrangements will not require payment of more than 50% of disposable income, aside from where taxpayers have very high disposable incomes; andwhere a taxpayer has no disposable assets and earns less than £50,000, then they will be automatically entitled to a minimum of a five-year payment plan, and where they earn less than £30,000, a minimum of seven years. HMRC will also implement a number of changes to ensure individuals who cannot pay the tax due and who are in need of bespoke arrangements to pay their tax debts understand the options available to them, and can make an informed decision about how to proceed. HMRC today announce that they will:publish the Income and Expenditure form that HMRC use with taxpayers to understand assets, income, and expenditure, and work out disposable income, and how HMRC use that to create Time to Pay arrangements; andrefer taxpayers to a debt advice charity where their finances suggest they need Time to Pay in excess of 5 years. HMRC can also confirm that, in line with current practice, they will:guarantee Time to Pay arrangements wherever an affordability assessment shows an individual cannot pay in full;accept Single Financial Statements completed by the taxpayer with a debt advice charity as proof of affordability;stop all recovery action where the taxpayer has no ability to pay, until there is a significant change of circumstance; andnot seek bankruptcy proceedings for individuals who have engaged with HMRC, completed an affordability assessment, and are solely unable to pay the Loan Charge. The policy changes to the Loan Charge and to Time to Pay set out above will have a significant impact on the affordability of the Loan Charge for many taxpayers affected. Allowing some Loan Charge liability to be written off in addition to these changes would have the effect of treating these tax avoiders more favourably than other individuals with HMRC debts (including tax credit claimants), would reduce taxpayers’ incentive to pay off the debt, and would have unwelcome wider impacts that change how HMRC and those in debt interact. The Government is therefore not accepting the Review’s recommendation to introduce a write-off of tax due on the loan charge after 10 years for individuals whose Time to Pay arrangement is longer than 10 years.Future approach to tackling disguised remuneration avoidance schemesDisguised remuneration avoidance schemes do not work in law and income paid through these schemes is fully taxable. The Government remains committed to tackling large scale avoidance of this nature. The Government shares the Review’s concern that these schemes continue to be marketed and used; this year alone, around 8,000 people are using a disguised remuneration scheme with around 3,000 of them being new users. Tackling large scale avoidance of this nature remains challenging and further consideration is required to determine what additional changes are needed. The Government will announce further action at the Budget.The Government and HMRC strongly encourage people not to use these schemes and to get in touch with HMRC if they think they are being sold a scheme.The Government and HMRC are determined to continue to tackle promoters of tax avoidance schemes, and can today announce that HMRC will:introduce further measures to tackle promoters of avoidance schemes and reduce the scope for promoters to market tax avoidance schemes – details of which will be set out at Budget;launch a call for evidence on what steps it can take to raise standards in the market for tax advice to give taxpayers more assurance that the advice they are receiving is reliable; andwill seek to provide targeted early communication to taxpayers who they suspect may be engaging in tax avoidance to encourage them to stop. Communications and engagement The Government and HMRC also accept recommendations in the Review that will improve the information provided in Government impact notes of tax changes and ensure that they learn from the experience of the Loan Charge in communicating policy and communicating with taxpayers.

Economic Update

Sajid Javid: I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Mr Andrew Bailey as the next Governor of the Bank of England. Mr Bailey will take up his appointment on 16 March 2020, and will serve an eight-year term, in accordance with the Bank of England Act 1998 (as amended by the Financial Services Act 2012). Dr Mark Carney has kindly agreed to extend his current term as Governor of the Bank of England until 15 March 2020, in order to facilitate a smooth transition to the next Governor.

Northern Ireland Office

Government's Legislative Programme (Northern Ireland)

Julian Smith: The Government’s legislative programme for the first Session was outlined by Her Majesty on Thursday 19 December. This statement provides a summary of the programme and its application to Northern Ireland. It does not include draft bills, Law Commission bills or Finance Bills. The Government is committed to delivering for all its citizens, wherever they live - the nations of the United Kingdom are safer, stronger and more prosperous when working together. The legislative programme therefore contains important reforms to domestic issues that will benefit people across the Union, as well as legislation that will allow the United Kingdom to seize the opportunities afforded by the exit from the European Union. The Government’s priority in Northern Ireland is the restoration of the Executive at the earliest opportunity. Northern Ireland has now been without devolved government since January 2017. In that time, we have seen hospital waiting lists get longer, public services deteriorate, and frustration in Northern Ireland grow at the lack of an Executive. Talks to restore the institutions of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement resumed on Monday 16 December. The talks are being held in accordance with the well-established three-stranded principle. This is the overriding priority for both the UK Government and the Irish Government. So the UK Government, working closely with the Irish Government in the normal way, will continue to intensify our efforts to put forward compromise solutions to the parties. In the absence of an Executive, the Government is committed to taking action to ensure good governance in Northern Ireland, including, where necessary, through legislative measures. The following Bills contained in the programme are likely to extend to Northern Ireland: Agriculture BillAir Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft BillArmed Forces (Legal Protections) BillBirmingham Commonwealth Games BillBuilding Safety BillCounter Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) BillDomestic Abuse BillEmployment BillEnvironment BillEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillExtradition (Provisional Arrest) BillFisheries BillFinancial Services BillHealth Service Safety Investigations BillImmigration and Social Security Co-ordination (European Union Withdrawal) BillOnline Harms BillMedicines and Medical Devices BillNational Security and Investment BillPension Schemes BillPrivate International Law (Implementation of Agreements) BillSentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) BillTelecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) BillTelecommunications (Connectivity) BillThomas Cook Compensation BillTrade BillWindrush (Compensation Scheme) Bill In the absence of a devolved Assembly and Executive, we will continue to work constructively with Northern Ireland Departments to deliver legislation which has effect in Northern Ireland. Should the devolved be restored then, in line with the Sewel Convention and associated practices, the Government will work constructively with the Northern Ireland Executive to secure the legislative consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly where appropriate.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local government update

Robert Jenrick: IntroductionToday I have published the provisional local government finance settlement for 2020-21. The proposals set out in this consultation will give local authorities a 4.4% real-terms increase in their Core Spending Power, which will rise from £46.2 billion in 2019-20 to £49.1 billion in 2020-21. It is a strong and well-balanced package, that delivers significant extra resources to the priority areas of adult and children’s social care, while offering protection to other key service areas.In October of this year we launched a technical consultation, within which we invited views on the proposed package for 2020-21. I would like to thank all colleagues in local government for their responses to the October consultation and thank them in advance for comments on this next consultation. I have now taken the responses to the technical consultation into account and, following this, I am now publishing our proposals for the provisional local government finance settlement for 2020-21: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/provisional-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2020-to-2021. Extra social care resourcesWe recognise the importance of addressing the challenges in our social care system. This is why we want to build the same level of cross-party consensus on social care as we have with the NHS, to make far-reaching changes to the way these services are financed and delivered.In the meantime, we will do all we can to support local authorities. The proposals I have published today will allow local authorities to access an additional £1.5 billion for social care. This comprises £1 billion of additional grant – for both adult and children’s social care – and a proposed 2% council tax precept for adult social care, which will enable councils to access a further £500 million. £150 million of the additional grant will be used to equalise the distributional impact of the council tax adult social care precept.These additional resources sit on top of the existing social care package, which will continue at 2019-20 levels, and mean that local authorities will have access to over £5.5 billion of dedicated funding across adult and children’s social care in 2020-21. Core settlement resourcesThe provisional settlement also provides protection for vital services by increasing core settlement resources, which includes Revenue Support Grant and business rates baseline funding levels, in line with inflation, and by continuing other key grants from 2019-20. Council taxThe proposed referendum principles strike a balance between giving local authorities the flexibility to address service pressures, without overburdening council tax payers with excessive increases. Local authorities will therefore be able to increase council tax in 2020-21 by a core principle of up to 2%, without holding a local referendum, with a bespoke council tax referendum principle of 2% or £5, whichever is higher, for shire district councils. In addition, councils with adult social care responsibilities will be able to increase their council tax by a further 2%, on top of the core principle, to be spent exclusively on adult social care. If confirmed, this package will mean that the expected average council tax increase for 2020-21 will be the lowest since 2016-17. New Homes BonusTo reward local authorities for house building in their area, I can confirm that we will make a new round of allocations of the New Homes Bonus for 2020-21 amounting to £907 million. As part of this, I am committing an additional £7 million to maintain the growth baseline for payments at 0.4%. We will make no legacy payments on these new allocations, but the Government will make legacy payments on allocations made in earlier years which are due to be paid in 2020-21.It is not clear that the New Homes Bonus in its current form is focussed on incentivising homes where they are needed most. I am therefore announcing that the Government will consult on the future of the housing incentive in the Spring. This will include moving to a new, more targeted approach that rewards local authorities where they are ambitious in delivering the homes we need and which is aligned with other measures around planning performance. Rural Services Delivery GrantWe will continue to recognise the extra costs of delivering services in rural areas and propose to maintain last year’s Rural Services Delivery Grant of £81 million, which is the joint-highest paid to date. It will be distributed using the same methodology as in 2019-20, which allocated funding to the top quartile of local authorities on the ‘super-sparsity’ indicator. Independent Living Fund and SchoolsFollowing the closure of the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in June 2015, the Government agreed to continue funding pre-existing ILF arrangements until the end of 2019-20, through the Former ILF Recipient Grant.We can confirm that the Former ILF Recipient Grant will continue to be paid to local authorities in 2020-21. The total value of the grant in 2020-21 will be maintained at the 2019-20 value of £160.6 million, with the same approach to individual local authority allocations. Details will be published shortly.We recognise that the settlement is just one source of funding that local authorities need to know about. Government has now also confirmed Dedicated Schools Grant allocations for 2020-21.https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-12-20/HCWS2/ ConclusionLocal government have asked us for certainty and stability from the settlement for 2020-21. This provisional settlement delivers on this, building on Spending Round 2019 and our recent technical consultation. It provides certainty for 2020-21 for those planning vital front-line services and provides significant extra resources where they are needed most. 


This statement has also been made in the House of Lords: 
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Prime Minister

Oversight of Investigatory Powers

Boris Johnson: On 18 July 2019, the Government published new guidance titled “The Principles relating to the detention and interviewing of detainees overseas and the passing and receipt of intelligence relating to detainees”. This will replace the existing “Consolidated Guidance” with effect from 1 January 2020. The new guidance is being extended to include the National Crime Agency and S015 Metropolitan Police Service and will provide clear direction for UK personnel on their interaction with detainees held by others overseas and the handling of intelligence derived from them.The Investigatory Powers Commissioner will continue to oversee and report on the application of The Principles and to enable this, I have today issued a Direction to the Commissioner to keep under review compliance with the guidance by UK personnel so far as they are engaged in intelligence activities. In accordance with my obligation to publish such directions under Section 230 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, I am now depositing in the Libraries a copy of the Direction.

Department for Exiting the European Union

General Affairs Council: November and December 2019

Steve Barclay: General Affairs Council, November 2019The UK did not attend the General Affairs Council (GAC) in Brussels on 19 November 2019.The UK Government has decided that from 1 September until exit day, UK Ministers and officials will only attend EU meetings where the UK has a significant national interest in the outcome of the discussions.General Affairs Council, December 2019Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the EU, attended the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 10 December 2019 to represent the UK. A provisional report of the meeting and the conclusions adopted can be found on the Council of the European Union’s website at:https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/gac/2019/12/10/#Values of the Union in Hungary / Article 7 (1) TEU Reasoned ProposalAs part of the Article 7(1) TEU procedure, the Council held a second hearing on Hungary, following the first hearing on 16 September. This hearing focused largely on the independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression and academic freedom in Hungary.Rule of Law in Poland / Article 7(1) TEU Reasoned ProposalThe Council discussed the rule of law in Poland. The Commission provided an update to ministers on the latest developments, including the recent judgments of the European Court of Justice concerning Polish rules on the retirement age of judges and public prosecutor, and the new Disciplinary Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court.Preparation of the European Council on 12-13 December 2019 and European Council follow-upMinisters continued preparations for the European Council on 12-13 December, and discussed draft Conclusions. Sir Tim Barrow intervened to express the UK’s long-standing support for the EU’s ambition of climate neutrality by 2050. We welcomed the balanced conclusions that demonstrated the importance of EU climate leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting green growth, and in ensuring a just transition to a low emission economy. Sir Tim Barrow also reiterated the UK’s continual support in finding an agreed solution to the current paralysis of the WTO’s mechanism for settling disputes, stressing the importance of language in respect to the WTO, and reinforcing that it was central to trade policy.Multiannual Financial Framework The Council held a policy debate on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Ministers discussed the Finnish Presidency’s negotiating box, ahead of the 12-13 December European Council. The Presidency agreed to a 25% target of the EU budget to support climate change initiatives.European Semester 2020 - RoadmapAs part of the preparation for the next European Semester, the Croatian Presidency presented the 2020 European Semester roadmap. The roadmap’s objective is to ensure that all relevant Councils work in a coordinated manner, with the General Affairs Council designated as the forum for overseeing the process.Legislative programming - Commission's Work Programme for 2020 and multiannual programmingMinisters exchanged views on priorities for upcoming legislative work under the new Commission. The aim of the discussion was to provide comments to the Commission for the preparation of its 2020 work programme.Conclusions on complementary efforts to enhance resilience and counter hybrid threatsThe Council adopted, without discussion, European Council conclusions which set priorities and guidelines for EU cooperation of countering hybrid threats and enhancing resilience. The conclusions outline the need for a comprehensive approach to these threats, working across all relevant policy sectors to ensure alignment.AOB: EnlargementUnder any other business, the Commission confirmed to Member States that it would present its proposals on enlargement in January, under the new Presidency.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London Croughton Annex

Dominic Raab: I told the House on 21 October that, following the tragic case of Harry Dunn, I had commissioned a review of the immunity arrangements at the Croughton Annex for US personnel and their families who hold privileges and immunities under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, following the 27 August road collision in which Harry Dunn was killed. I committed to completing the Review by the end of the year.The Croughton Review has now concluded. It considered the anomaly that family members of US officers serving at the Annex at RAF Croughton have, under current arrangements between the UK and the US, greater protection from UK criminal jurisdiction than the officers themselves. On the basis of the Review, I have instructed my officials to begin discussions with the US on the most effective way to address this anomaly.

NATO Leaders' Meeting 3-4 December 2019

Dominic Raab: On 3-4 December, NATO Leaders met in London to mark 70 successful years of the Alliance, in a valuable opportunity to reaffirm British leadership. These events demonstrated a strong sense of NATO’s unity and purpose, progressed the largest reinforcement of collective defence since the end of the Cold War and agreed ways to ensure NATO will continue to meet future threats. I have placed a copy of the NATO London Declaration, capturing these commitments, in the libraries of both Houses.In order to maintain our Alliance, defend our interests, and fulfil our commitments, NATO Allies must all pay their fair share. So I was pleased that the meeting highlighted significant progress on burden sharing, with the NATO Secretary General announcing an increase in non-US defence investment of $130bn from 2016-2020, expected to rise to $400bn by 2024. The UK remains one of nine Allies meeting its 2% defence spending commitment, including a 20% investment in new capabilities. I will continue to urge other NATO Allies to make progress in implementing our 2024 defence investment commitment.In a session of the North Atlantic Council chaired by the Secretary General, Leaders reaffirmed NATO’s purpose and noted decisions taken to prevent conflict and preserve peace. These included addressing both state and non-state threats, a collective response to Russia’s deployment of Treaty-violating intermediate range missiles, a refreshed Counter Terrorism Action Plan, stronger policies to counter hybrid threats, and work to increase the resilience of Allies’ critical national infrastructure.Allies also committed forces to NATO’s Readiness Initiative - ensuring that the Alliance can deploy 30 ships, 30 battalions and 30 air squadrons at 30 days’ notice. The UK has provided the single largest commitment, offering three battlegroups, two air squadrons, and six warships, including an aircraft carrier, to ensure that NATO retains its ability to deploy quickly and at strength.Allies also discussed plans to enable this great Alliance to adapt to future challenges, and ensure that it continues to deliver peace and security for one billion people.Allies agreed a roadmap for NATO’s response to Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (including artificial intelligence and quantum computing), initiated work to address the opportunities and challenges of China’s growing influence and declared Space an operational domain. NATO is also stepping up its role in human security, including through a new (anti) sexual exploitation and abuse policy.Alongside the formal meetings, Her Majesty The Queen hosted the NATO Secretary General and 29 other Heads of State and Government from NATO countries and North Macedonia on 3 December. The Prime Minister undertook a range of bilateral meetings, including with the leaders of France, Germany and Turkey where they discussed the situation in Syria and agreed on the importance of humanitarian access and protection of civilians. I hosted Foreign Ministers from NATO Allies - and NATO Partners Ukraine and Georgia - on 3 December. NATO also held a major outreach event under the banner of “NATO Engages”, with a diverse, predominately young audience of more than 1000 attendees. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also hosted 100 university students for a ‘Model NATO’ exercise, and visited more than 1000 students in 15 universities across the UK in the weeks leading up to the Leaders’ Meeting.I look forward to working with all NATO Allies and Partners in implementing the outcomes from the Leaders’ Meeting and in welcoming North Macedonia as the thirtieth member of our Alliance in the coming months. When we stand together, decide together, act together – we are stronger and safer. These steps will further strengthen the purpose and unity of an Alliance that continues to be the cornerstone of our security, and post-Brexit we will continue to reinforce its importance.